Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday bluntly challenged Middle Eastern leaders to open up their political systems and economies, warning that "the region's foundations are sinking into the sand. " Clinton, addressing an international meeting in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, said the region's governments need to share more power with civic and volunteer groups to overcome the problems of exploding populations, stagnant economies and declining natural resources.

January 9, 2006 | Aaron Belkin, AARON BELKIN is associate professor of political science at UC Santa Barbara and author, with Evan Schofer, of "Toward a Structural Understanding of Coup Risk," published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution in 2003.

THE PROVISIONAL results of the December elections in Iraq are already in dispute, but that doesn't stop Washington from pointing to the vote as a success in its quest to create a peaceful, stable and free Middle East. But the mere fact of an election cannot change a fundamental truth about Iraq: Saddam Hussein governed as a brutal dictator not simply because he was cruel but also because of the treacherous political landscape that destabilized his relationship with his own military.

Inside a ruined pyramid in the Guatemalan jungle, archeologists have unearthed the oldest known Maya painting, a brightly colored 30-foot-long mural depicting the Maya creation myth and the coronation of the Maya's first earthly king. The paint-on-plaster image, 3 feet tall and nearly 2,100 years old, is several centuries older than other depictions of the creation myth.

A GLARING SYMBOL FOR THE distance China has traveled from the Mao Tse-tung days is the Ferrari showroom not far from Tiananmen Square. Nor is capitalism neglected in the lobbies of Beijing's five-star hotels, where Hermes, Ferragamo and Tiffany kiosks reign. No wonder some Chinese joke that the label "communist" in the ruling party's name is a relic. But China's rulers demonstrated again last week that they understand the rising tide has not yet lifted all boats.

Re "Don't Buy the 'Peace and Love' Party Line," Opinion, May 22: Shintaro Ishihara's article on China is bigoted and unfair, as evidenced by a number of his statements and omissions. He absurdly states, for example, "It is a historical fact that before communism, mainland China lacked a civil society." What is "civil" or not depends entirely on a particular worldview and perspective (civil by whose standards?), so it cannot, by definition, be a "fact" of any kind. Also, during certain eras of China's long history (say, the Han dynasty of 2,000 years ago, certainly "before communism")

Re "A Mushroom Cloud Hovers Over a Bush Judicial Nominee," Commentary, May 18: After reading Patt Morrison's column, "tone of dismissive arrogance" would have been an apt lead, it seems to me. As an American history teacher in an earlier life, I marvel at the discussion today of what characteristics are important in a nominee for a higher court appointment. Morrison informs us that judicial nominee California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown "lectures her colleagues," has a "tone of dismissive arrogance" in her writings and dealings with colleagues, has a "compelling life story" and zings sardonic critiques, etc. Obviously, she's not made of the right stuff.

Michael Henry Adams' epiphany came in the quiet stillness of the Akron Public Library. Hanging on the wall were photographs of the Harlem Renaissance era by James Van Der Zee. "There were images of blacks who were every bit as polished and elegant as Clark Gable or Cary Grant," Adams says. "That was a revelation for me, and also a justification. Before that, I would have felt that to identify with the style of Fred Astaire would have not been something that reflected blackness."